9.Food and Drink of Hell

Allah says: “No food will there be for them but a bitter Dhari’. Which will neither nourish nor satisfy hunger.” (88:6-7) We do not know what exactly dhari’ is, but it doesn’t give nourishment or satisfy hunger.

The main dish for the people of hell are the fruits of a tree in hell. Allah says: “Lo! the tree of Zaqqum will be the food of the sinners, Like molten brass; it will boil in their insides. Like the boiling of scalding water.” (44:43-46)

Allah says: “Is that (Paradise) better entertainment or the tree of Zaqqum (a horrible tree in Hell)? Truly We have made it (as) a trail for the Zalimun (polytheists, disbelievers, wrong-doers, etc.). Verily, it is a tree that springs out of the bottom of Hell-fire, the shoots of its fruit-stalks are like the heads of Shayatin (devils). Truly, they will eat thereof and fill their bellies therewith. Then on the top of that they will be given boiling water to drink so that it becomes a mixture (of boiling water and Zaqqum in their bellies).” (37:62-67)

The tree comes out from the bottom of hell – it gets its nourishment from the worst part of hell. The more that they eat from these fruits, the hungrier they will feel and the thirstier they will become. They will go to drink and they will drink boiling water.

Allah says: “Then will you truly – O you that go wrong, and treat (Truth) as Falsehood! – You will surely taste of the Tree of Zaqqum. Then will ye fill your insides therewith. And drink Boiling Water on top of it: Indeed ye shall drink like diseased camels raging with thirst!” (56:51-55)

Sometimes camels are inflicted with a disease that causes them to drink and drink until they kill themselves. They feel thirst, but they never quench their thirst even though they keep drinking.

Allah says: “Here is a boiling and an ice-cold draught, so let them taste it, And other (torment) of the kind in pairs (the two extremes)!” (38:57-58)

This ayah talks about hameem wa ghassaaq. Hameem is boiling water. Ghassaaq has been translated here as ice-cold water, but AlQurtubi says that ghassaaq and ghisleen (another word used in the Qur’an) both mean the juices of the flesh of the people of hell fire. [See Muhsin Khan’s translation of these ayaat.] Fire burns their flesh. The grease and the sweat will come out of the bodies and this will be drink for the people of hell. Whenever you cook meat on top of fire, you’ll notice that the grease falls out. That is ghassaaq and ghisleen.

Allah also says: “[...] And if they ask for help (relief, water, etc.) they will be granted water like boiling oil, that will scald their faces. Terrible the drink, and an evil Murtafaqa (dwelling, resting place, etc.)!” (18:29)

The drinks of hell that we mentioned were

1.      hameem and

2.      ghassaaq or ghisleen.

3.      as-sadeed, which is the puss that comes out from injuries.

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says, “Every intoxicant is forbidden. Verily Allah the Exalted and Majestic, made a covenant to those who drank intoxicants to make their drink Tinat al-Khabal.” They said: “Allah’s Messenger, what is Tinat al-Khabal?” He said: “It is the sweat of the denizens of Hell or the discharge of the denizens of Hell.” [Muslim, 23/4962]

Al-Muhl is boiling oil. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says they would bring this drink forth, and as soon as it comes close to their faces, the flesh of their faces would melt and fall down. Nevertheless, they would drink it. That tells you how much pain and suffering of thirst they are feeling. They would bring this boiling oil that causes the flesh of their faces to melt. This hadith is in at-Tirmidhi.